Application Procedure to Obtain Consultative Status with The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)

On the basis of article 71 of the Charter of the United Nations, Non-Governmental Organizations concerned with matters within the competence of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and its subsidiary bodies may be granted, if they so request, consultative status with this Council. Resolution 1996/31 of ECOSOC provides the principles to be applied in the establishment of consultative relations as well as those governing the nature and the practical functioning of consultative arrangements.

Requests for consultative status are handled by the Non-Governmental Organizations Branch of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs/DESA in the United Nations in New York. The Officer-In-Charge of the Branch is Mr. Alberto Padova.

Organizations applying for consultative status must complete an online form and upload requested documents; once this process is completed and reviewed by the Non-Governmental Organizations Branch of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs/DESA, the application is presented to the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations. This Committee makes its recommendations to ECOSOC, which takes the final decision.

The procedures to apply for consultative status and the relevant documents can be consulted on the DESA NGO Branchwebsite.